NUMBER 285 : February 2015 : FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MEDJUGORJE CENTRE NORTH EAST. (Established since 1989)

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NUMBER 285 : February 2015 : FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MEDJUGORJE CENTRE NORTH EAST (Established since 1989) www.medjugorjene.co.uk OUR MINISTRY To spread the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, given through the visionaries in Medjugorje. PEACE CONVERSION FAITH PRAYER FASTING OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE PRAY FOR US

1 MEDJUGORJE AFTERNOON OF PRAYER led by Fr. Martin Morris ( 2nd Sunday of the Month ) Sunday 8th March 2015 Sunday 12th April 2015 4.00pm to 5.00pm Adoration 5.00pm to 6.00pm Rosary, Benediction and Reflection ST ALOYSIUS CHURCH PRINCE CONSORT ROAD HEBBURN, TYNE AND WEAR NE31 1BE Medjugorje Centre (North East) ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER Led by Fr. Martin Morris Saturday 21st March 2015 Coffee from 9.45 am Rosary, and Talk 10.30 Shared lunch, Followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Mass SACRED HEART Church North Gosforth, NE3 5EB Medjugorje Centre (North East) ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE Spiritual Director Fr. Martin Morris Wednesday 20th May 27th May 2015 Booking forms available from Kath Ash Telephone 01670 733358 Travelling with Aglow Pilgrimages, Harrogate FULL Reserve list available

2 OUR LADY S MESSAGE To the World Given 25th February 2015 to Marija Pavlovic D ear children! In this time of grace I call all of you: pray more and speak less. In prayer seek the will of God and live it according to the commandments to which God calls you. I am with you and am praying with you. Thank you for having responded to my call. Fr. Martin Morris s Reflection Dear Brothers and Sisters of Medjugorje North East, in this Grace filled Season of Lent, our Blessed Mother comes to us and reminds the Church that true change, true transformation begins in prayer. It begins when we surrender ourselves to our loving Heavenly Father, and our hearts rest in Him. The preface of the Eucharistic Prayer for the Saints says, In every age you raise up men and women, outstanding in holiness, living witnesses of your unchanging love. The Church is renewed not by committees, councils and meetings, the Church and her faith are renewed in every age by men and women who pray. Men and women who have discovered true friendship with Christ, and have fallen in love with him. I call all of you to pray more and speak less. Blessed John Henry Newman said, Prayer is listening, heart to heart. Mary calls us to the stillness, the silence of prayer, to spend time with god and abandon ourselves to him. There is no greater power than the power of prayer, of Adoration. For prayer, true prayer, is attentive listening and offering ourselves, and receiving. Jesus taught us, do not babble in your prayers, (Matt 6:7) and the Gospel for Ash Wednesday told us, when you pray, go into your private room, and close the door, and speak to your Heavenly Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. (Matt 6:6). Pray more, and speak less. The one who can remain silent, who chooses to reflect, when words are no longer helpful, brings about true change. Prayer is more effective than endless meetings and conventions, because all our answers are in prayer. In prayer

3 we enter into God s will, his life and love, and receive the Holy Spirit, who puts wind into our sails to live the good life, the life of God. We are all witnesses to a bitter truth, everything is in crisis. The crisis of our world is a crisis of faith, that has put the Christian family under serious attack. It seems to me that nearly every second family is breaking up. In the hearts of many we can see less and less love, faithfulness, joy, happiness and peace, which are being destroyed by unfaithfulness, divorce, abortion, immorality. We can see a disintegration of communities, and of the family. This is why Our Blessed Mother comes as Queen of Peace to our world. She tells us that Jesus and his commandments are our call. Jesus is the basis of the family, and his commandments are the surest way to happiness, our compass. Mary really wants God to be the most important one in our lives. The Queen of Peace has come amongst us in these fateful times in order to help us, and show us the way to salvation. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father s commandments, and remain in his love. This is my commandment, love one another as I have loved you. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John:15 10-15) God Bless Fr. Martin Medjugorje s Oldest Parishioner www.medjugorje.com The oldest parishioner from Medjugorje parish, Ruza Vidovic Baracusa, celebrated her 100th birthday on February 21, 2015. Her birthday was truly solemn day for her family, friends, neighbours and all those who came to congratulate her. The parish priest, Fr. Marinko Sakota along with Fr. Karlo Lovric, priest who takes care of the sick and elderly in the parish, were also there. Fr. Karlo visits Granny Ruza on a regular basis. She was born on February 21, 1915 in Medjugorje in the family of Ilko and Manda Barac and she married Tadija Vidovic and gave birth to seven children, and four of them are still alive. She has 14 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren as well as two great great-grandchildren. She is in the good form, lives in Miletina with her daughter in law Draga and daughter Ljilja, who told us that Granny Ruza prays the Rosary every night along with everyone in the church of St. James through the radio. Granny Ruza said that the recipe for longevity are faith, prayer, lots of working and many vegetables from one s own garden, including a small glass of white wine a day. PATH ACROSS MEDJUGORJE FIELDS BECOMES ASPHALT ROAD Work has begun to turn the walking path across the fields between Apparition Hill and central Medjugorje into an asphalt road with sidewalks. While pilgrims lament the loss of the path, most locals favor the decision.

4 Our Lady s message to Mirjana 2nd February 2015 Dear children: I am here, I am among you. I am looking at you, am smiling at you and I love you in the way that only a Mother can. Through the Holy Spirit who comes through my purity, I see your hearts and I offer them to my Son. Already for a long time I have been asking of you to be my apostles, to pray for those who have not come to know God's love. I am asking for prayer said out of love, prayer which carries out works and sacrifices. Do not waste time thinking about whether you are worthy to be my apostles. The Heavenly Father will judge everyone; and you, love Him and listen to Him. I know that all of this confuses you, even my very stay among you, but accept it with joy and pray that you may comprehend that you are worthy to work for Heaven. My love is upon you. Pray that my love may win in all hearts, because that is the love which forgives, gives and never stops. Thank you. REPORT FROM SISTER EMMANUEL of The Community of The Beatitudes www.childrenofmedjugorje.com 15 February 2015 Dear Children of Medjugorje, praised be Jesus and Mary! have opened the door to the evil one through grave sins, others endure very painful and hurtful conditions in their life. Whatever seems 1. On February 2nd 2015, Mirjana received her apparition in the big room of her pension near her home. 2. Observing Lent with the Power of God! It strikes me to see how suffering and anxiety are increasing in people's hearts, and how many remain locked in situations that appear to be unmanageable! Some are victims of malicious attacks, some "unmanageable" in life, it is important to remember that this word, "unmanageable" does not exist in the

5 vocabulary of God or that of His followers! Our Lady told us, "Through fasting and prayer, dear children, you can obtain everything." She also said, "You will find a way out even for situations that seem impossible to you." Our friend Matthew had an overwhelming worry that was threatening his entire family: to find himself penniless at the beginning of his retirement. He had been successful in his business, but he had made powerful enemies who were trying to drown him, out of jealousy. Here is his story: "In 2009, our children had left the family home, and were independent, so we were alone in our large 7-room house. We decided to sell it and find a smaller place to live. We quickly found somebody interested to buy it. After signing the preliminary sales agreement, we rented a place so that we could take our time to buy the house we wanted. That's when our worries started. The bank imposed on us impossible conditions for our finances and, at the same time, our buyer pulled out at the last minute, so the sale did not take place. Our house was empty, and we were paying the heating bills, the property tax and, on top of that, the rent for the apartment! The situation had no other solution than a prolonged lawsuit, which would have lasted years. The bank threatened to seize the house and to sell it dirt-cheap at a public auction! The sale offers were coming in, but strangely enough, they would always fall apart at the last minute. All our efforts to sell were like shooting in the dark. There was no solution in sight, we were at a complete standstill. It is then that I remembered a message of Our Lady, 'Through fasting and prayer, dear children, you can obtain everything.' So in July 2014 I decided to go to Medjugorje for nine days and do a novena of fasting on bread and water, the daily rosary, the Eucharist, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In other words, I was taking Our Lady 'up on her word'. The fasting went wonderfully well because from day one I had offered it to Mary, begging her to support me. I was so afraid of failing. It was an astonishing discovery: I would go to Viktor's (a restaurant near the church) to eat my fasting bread. I was eating next to pilgrims who were having their normal meals, giving off the most tempting smells to accompany my bread! However I felt no desire to change my menu. When I got back home, we signed a new preliminary sales agreement to sell our home, but the problem remained because of the bank blocking everything. We had signed the agreement with all our trust in Our Lady, certain that she would help. I could see that another effort was needed. So I decided to forcibly move things forward, because the house had been empty over 4 years! I decided that another fast was needed. In no time, I was back in Medjugorje by the end of October 2014. I could not imagine that Mary would not stick to her word! I offered her another Novena of fasting for all her

6 intentions. This time it was the right novena, and it worked! We signed the final sales agreement early in the month of January 2015!" The moral of the story is Simple! The kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent bear it away, (Matt. 11:12).We just need to use whatever means Heaven offers us. How many more blessings, healings, and liberations would be granted if we told ourselves, like Matthew, 'The Gospa sticks to her word, let us follow her instructions!' Of course, in her messages she doesn't ask for novenas of fasting, rather she asks that we fast 2 days a week. Look! So many people are ready to undergo a costly therapeutic diet for their physical health, why would they not also think of doing it in the case of a so-called "unmanageable" situation? And why not take advantage of this Lent to let God bring down upon us, our families and on the world, the signs of His power? 3. Pope Francis will go to Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) on June 6th. However, his trip does not seem to have any connection to the site of Medjugorje. Father Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Holy See, made it clear in an interview on February 2nd, The Pope said he would go to Sarajevo, he did not say he would go to Medjugorje. Normally the Holy Father allows journalists to interview him while in flight, we will see if he drops some surprising words as he usually does. Whatever the excitement surrounding this planned trip, Our Lady will continue to do her work in peace and quiet, until it is completed, until her Immaculate Heart has triumphed. It is up to us to hasten the fulfilment of her plans through our fervent and confident prayers. 4. Great news from the Carmelite convent of Bethlehem! Sr. Mary of Jesus Crucified, Maryam of Bethlehem (1846-1878), will be canonized on May 17th in Rome! Satan had said: "She will be canonized and I don't want that to happen!" But John-Paul II said: "Everything in her speaks of Jesus." Who is the "little Arab"? Maryam Baouardy is a daughter of Galilee and a great mystic of the Carmelite order beatified by John Paul II in 1983. Her religious name was Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified. Her life was a succession of supernatural manifestations worthy of St. Catherine of Siena, from the

7 stigmata to singular battles with Satan. It is hard to discover Maryam without falling in love with her, without wanting to become a saint as well, by following in her footsteps. 5. On March 19th, we'll celebrate the solemnity of St. Joseph. The tradition in my house is to offer him a 30-day Novena, starting Feb. 17th. One can start later if he missed the date. Every day, we recite his litany and a decade of the Rosary. Then, we entrust our many petitions to him in a spontaneous prayer. St. Joseph is very generous to whoever pray to him with trust. His remarkable tenderness has not failed for his own since he entered the glory of Heaven! Don't miss him, and send us your testimonies of his help and intercession for your family so that others can come to love him and pray to him too! Send your testimonies to: gospa.fr@gmail.com. Dearest Gospa, what would the world be today without your coming to Medjugorje? Thank you for being present, for looking at us and for smiling at us! You do more through one single smile than all the therapies of the world! Sister Emmanuel + Five Reasons Every Man Should Love Saint Joseph Sam Guzman February 25, 2015 St. Joseph often slips under the radar because of his quiet demeanor and hidden life. However, he has much to teach us about growing in holiness. Here are 5 reasons to discover St. Joseph. 1. He is the Patron Saint of Workers. As men work takes up a great portion of our lives. Often we struggle to work in a way that honors God. St. Joseph can teach us how to work well if we ask him. One way to do this is to start your work day with a prayer to St. Joseph. St. Joseph is also good to invoke if you are having difficulty finding a job. He was commissioned to provide for the Son of God, so he fully understands the pressure men face to provide for their families. In my own life, I have seen the power of St. Joseph s intercession in finding my friends jobs. 2. His Intercession is Powerful. A seminarian once told me of the powerful intercession of St. Joseph. He explained that whenever he needed something, he asked for St. Joseph s help, and his needs were met. Over the past few years, I have witnessed this in my own life. St. Joseph has answered many of my prayers,whether it be finding a job or starting a family. In her autobiography, St. Teresa of Avila gives us some insight into why St. Joseph s intercession is so powerful. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succor us in some

8 of our necessities, but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succors us in them all, and that the Lord wishes to teach us that, as He was Himself subject to him on earth, (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks. 3. He Models Fatherhood for Us. God the Father chose St. Joseph from all men to be the foster-father of Jesus. That truly says something about his character, for he was entrusted with leading, providing for and protecting the Son of God and God s greatest creature, Our Lady. Joseph faithfully served the Holy Family and protected them from danger so that they could fulfill God s mission. St. Joseph taught Jesus in his humanity how to be a man. No doubt he taught him how to be a faithful Jew, as well as the trade of carpentry. He models well for us fathers how to be the spiritual leaders of our families. Like St. Joseph, we are called to show the love of God the Father to our wives and children. 4. He was an obedient man Every time God asked him to do something, Joseph was eager to say yes. Whether that was taking Mary as his wife, going to Bethlehem for the census, or fleeing with his family to Egypt, Joseph always followed God s will immediately. In an age where we are told to do things our own way, Joseph is a great reminder that true greatness is found in following God s will, not our own. 5. He was a man of silence We never hear a word from St. Joseph in the Bible for he was a man of great silence. Because of this silence, he was able to hear God s voice and discern his will for the Holy Family. In an age of noise and many words, Joseph reminds us that if we wish to hear God s voice, we must quiet our hearts and enter into the silence. These are just a few of the many reasons why every Catholic man should develop devotion to St. Joseph. With his feast day coming up in March, it is the perfect time to learn about this great saint and ask for his intercession to live a holy life. Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking. St. Thomas Aquinas Article from The Catholic Gentleman St. Joseph, In Our times of need, Pray for us.

9 Transfiguration We also climb the mountain of the Transfiguration and stop in contemplation of the face of Jesus in order to accept the message and translate it into our lives; because we too can be transfigured by love In reality, love has the capacity to transfigure all. Love transforms all Do you all believe in this? Do you believe love is capable of transfiguring all? Pope Francis, Angelus address, Sunday, March 1, 2015 Take two tablets... January 29, 2015 www.crownofstars.blog Devotion of the Way of the Cross in Medjugorje www.medjugorje.com Moses descended Mt Sinai carrying two tablets of stone on which were written the law and commandments God had given him for the people. Sometimes pilgrims in Medjugorje descend Mt Podbrdo and Mt Krzevac with stones from the mountains which serve as reminders of what has been revealed to them and sometimes a life-changing experience on the hills. The two hills are an integral part of the prayer programme at Medjugorje and the parish authorities take great care to protect the areas from disturbance and worldly influences. In recent years notice boards displaying a list of tablet-shaped graphics have appeared at the base of the hills outlining the do s and dont s for pilgrims praying on the hills a kind of 10 commandments before ascending the mountains! (see modified photo above) Every Lent we are in a special way meditating on the passion of Christ, especially we do that in the devotion of the Way of the Cross, that we pray in the church and in families. The Way of the Cross in the parish takes place on Fridays at 2pm on Cross Mountain and in the parish church after the evening Holy Mass; at the branch churches (Šurmanci, Vionica, Miletina) at 4pm. Devotion of the Way of the Cross began on Cross Mountain in the beginning of Our Lady's apparitions. After 1981, many pilgrims joined parishioners from all surrounding places and from the world. When pilgrims climb Cross Mountain, they can all have personal encounter with Jesus in his passion as well as to discover his love. The stations were initially marked by wooden crosses, but in 1988 bronze reliefs were erected that are the work of Italian artist, Prof. Carmello Puzzolo, depicting Our Lady on each one of them.

10 Stations Of The Cross Medjugorje The beautiful bronze plaques that make up the Way of the Cross are the works of the Florentine artist Carmelo Puzzolo. In the same template as the impressive series of the Stations of the Cross tableaux by the same artist in Medjugorje, the Malawian Stations were erected in 2003. Similar sculptures of the decades of the Rosary, as found on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, can also be found on Mount Michiru- Malawi -again the works of Carmelo Puzzolo. Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane 1st Station: Jesus, Y ou are condemned to death Dear Lord, help us to not be so quick to condemn and judge others. 2nd Station: Jesus, Y ou Receive Your Cross on Your shoulders. Dear Lord, Please strengthen and help us to accept the crosses that come our way and to bear them with a willing spirit 3rd Station: Jesus, Y ou fall for the first time under the Cross. Dear Lord, help us to keep going even when we stumble and fall and feel we can't take another step. 4th Station: Jesus, Y ou meet your Holy Mother. Dear Lord, please Help us reflect Your Holy Mother Mary. Help us to offer comfort and consolation and to be a source of strength for others. 5th Station: Jesus, Simon of Cyrene helps You carry the Cross. Dear Lord, Don't let us turn our back on anyone in need. 6th Station: Jesus, Veronica offers You her veil & wipes Your face. Dear Lord, help us to be the ones who come to offer kindness when the whole world only offers rejection. 7th Station: Jesus, Y ou fall the second time under the Cross. Dear Lord, please help us to have the courage to continue. Help us to face another day. 8th Station: Jesus, Y ou console the women of Jerusalem. Dear Lord, even when we are hurting, help us to remember that others are hurting also. Help us to not be selfcentered and to continue to reach out to those who need us. 9th Station: Jesus, Y ou fall a third time under the Cross. Dear Lord, help us to continue when the way is difficult and we have lost all hope. Please guide our faltering steps. 10th Station: Jesus, Y ou are stripped of Your garments. Dear Lord, please help us to share our material goods with others, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. 11th Station: Jesus, Y ou are being nailed to the Cross With each nail, the pain grew greater, each blow a vivid reminder of our sins. Dear Lord, thank you for your love. Thank you for dying to forgive our sins. Help us to forgive and do your will.

11 12th Station: Jesus, Y ou are dying on the Cross, He cried out" My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?" Yet He also found the strength to forgive His persecutors. Dear Lord, at times when we feel abandoned, help us to remember that you understand and are always at our side. 13th Station: Jesus, Y ou are taken down from the Cross and placed in the embrace of your Mother. Dear Lord, help us to remember the mothers and parents who have lost children to violence and criminal activity. Help us to pray for them as they suffer so much pain. 14th Station: Jesus, Y ou are placed into the tomb, And then there was darkness. The tomb was a place of transition for Jesus a stopping place between death and new life. Dear Lord, please help us as we go through our own times in the tomb and the dark, times when we feel lost and scared, fearful of change. 15th Station: The Resurrection Dear Lord, Help us to see your light, guiding us safely to new life. Of Peace Joy and Love. Amen LOCAL MEDJUGORJE RESIDENT & GUIDE, FRANJO ZUBAC RELATES HIS EXPERIENCE OF WHAT HE SAW ON 2 FEBRUARY 1982, THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE (Candlemas Day) Franjo Zubac is the husband of our friend Rosie, that presents the Tea with Rosie programme on www.marytv.tv Medjugojre North East Pilgrims first met Franjo late in the 80 s. His knowledge and witness of Our Lady of Medjugojre. His friendly welcome as a guide/translator was always appreciated. Franjo was driving his father and cousin to the evening programme in St James Church in Medjugorje before they approached the village they could see a really bright star (bigger than a normal star) radiating above the cross on Krizevac mountain. Franjo stopped his car and noticed that the cars in front of him had done the same including a police car. The police got out of their car and looked in the direction of the Star on Krizevac, it was so bright that it illuminated the cross. After a while the star began to dance in the sky and made its way to Apparition Hill. The star continued to radiate. Then a big fire appeared, elevated off the ground. The fire then divided in three then went back into one and back into three. At this time no one was allowed to climb the hill as the communists stood guard at the foot of the hill.

12 Franjo then began to drive his car and parked it in front of the church. Franjo s father noticed a Priest with a camera looking in the direction of Apparition Hill standing by a bush at the left of the Church. Despite Franjos advice not to go over to the Priest, his father could not contain his excitement and hurried to ask the Priest to see if he had seen what they had seen. The wise Priest, not wanting to alert the police are communist agents just shouted and pushed Franjo s Dad into the church to pray. Franjo then goes on to say that reading the Bible daily it has been revealed to him that the Fire represents the presence of God and the 3 fires going into one represents the Holy Trinity. Where ever that fire happens is consecrated. This is where Our Lady said the permanent sign will be left, on Apparition Hill. Holy Father Francis is coming to Sarajevo on June 6, 2015 Vatican I would like to announce that, God willing, I will be coming to Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on June 6 said pope Francis after the Angelus on Sunday, February 1. The Holy Father invited all faithful to accompany this journey of his with prayer, as his wish is to visit faithful Catholics who live in that country, to wake up the yeast of goodness and to contribute to strengthening of brotherhood and peace. Turn around, Simon... www.crownofstars.blog Many are the conversions that happen at Medjugorje, where pilgrims are reconciled with Jesus after long periods away from the Church and the Sacraments. For some, the conversion can be sudden and totally unexpected. Simon of Cyrene experienced a dramatic turnaround in his life which led to him following Jesus. Travelling in from the countryside to visit Jerusalem (probably for the Sabbath) he came across a procession of people escorting a prisoner out of the city to a place named Golgotha, where he would be crucified. Jesus and Simon were travelling in opposite directions when the man from Cyrene was seized by the guards and put upon to shoulder the burden that had already forced Jesus to the ground. Simon was literally turned around from the direction in which he had been heading and made to follow Jesus and help bear the heavy weight of the cross. Simon would have been less than pleased, maybe even resentful, with being commandeered in this way and tainted with the shame associated with a condemned man and his cross. But carry the cross he did. Simon isn t mentioned by name or by deed in the Gospel reading (Matthew 25 : 31-46) but he can be identified very easily among those assembled on the right hand side of the King, those who reached out to the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers and the prisoners.

Pope Francis said Lent is a time where we struggle against the temptations of Satan and worldliness. 13 Pope at Angelus: Lent is a time of battle against evil Report by Susy Hodges (Vatican Radio) In his Angelus address the Pope recalled how Jesus went into the solitude of the wilderness for 40 days where he successfully overcame temptations in a hand-to-hand combat with Satan. And through his victory over Satan, he said, we have all triumphed but we need to protect this victory in our daily lives. He went on to explain how in the wilderness we can listen to God s voice and that of the tempter. And we listen to God s voice through his words and that why it s important to read the Holy Scriptures because otherwise we re unable to resist the lure of the evil one. The Pope said it was for this reason that he wanted to renew his advice to the faithful to read the Gospel every day and reflect on its meaning, even for just 10 minutes and carry around a copy in one s pocket or bag every day. The Lenten wilderness, he continued, helps us to say no to worldliness, to idols, it helps us to make courageous choices in line with the Gospel and to strengthen our solidarity with our brothers and sisters. He concluded by reminding those present that he and other members of the Roman Curia would be beginning their spiritual retreat later on Sunday. Pray for us, he urged, so that in this wilderness of the spiritual exercises "we can hear Jesus voice and also correct the many defects that we all have and thereby overcome the temptations that attack us every day. In his address following the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis announced a personal initiative of his which was the distribution of 50,000 free copies of a small booklet to those present in St Peter s Square. Holding up the pocket-sized booklet which is entitled Safeguard your Heart, the Pope explained that it contains several key teachings of Jesus and the essential tenets of our faith. These included, he said, "the seven sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the 10 commandments, the virtues and works of charity." Pope Francis said a group of volunteers, including many homeless people, were distributing it to the pilgrims present in St. Peter s Square. He urged everybody to take a copy of the booklet and carry it around with them to help in their conversion and spiritual growth which always comes from the heart. It s there, he stressed, that we play out the daily choice between good and evil, between worldliness and the Gospel, between indifference and sharing. Humanity needs justice, peace and love and we can have this only by returning with our hearts towards God who is the source of all this.

14 Medjugorje Centre North East www.medjugorjene.co.uk Dates for Diary 2015 Our Lady of Lourdes 11th February Ash Wednesday 18th February Annual Day of Prayer in honour of the Annunciation 21st March The Annunciation 25th March MIDDLESBROUGH CENTRE FOR PEACE MEDJUGORJE EVENING Friday 13th March 2015 Friday 10th April 2015 7.30pm to 9.30pm Rosary : Holy Mass : Talk : Witness JOHN PAUL CENTRE 55 GRANGE ROAD, MIDDLESBROUGH, TS1 5AU For further details please contact: Mrs Marie Bedingfield Tel: 01642 530739 Palm Sunday 29th March Good Friday 3rd April Easter Sunday 5th April Our Lady of Fatima 13th May 34th Anniversary of The Apparitions at Medjugorje 25th June Medjugorje Centre North East Invites you to celebrate the 34th Anniversary of The Apparitions at Medjugorje 7pm Thursday 25th June 2015 Rosary, Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Led by Fr. Michael Corbett St. Andrews Church Worswick Street Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UW The Centre recognizes and accepts that the final authority regarding the apparitions at Medjugorje rests with the Holy See of Rome. We willingly submit to that judgement.